


Not your usual fantasy

by arcsinx



Series: Not Your Usual Fairytale [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, DJ Otabek Altin, Dialogue Heavy, Family Drama, M/M, Model Yuri Plisetsky, Mpreg, though not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2018-10-11 09:43:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10461903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcsinx/pseuds/arcsinx
Summary: Yuri's first impression of Almaty is that it's way hotter than St Petersburg. Otabek doesn't seem to be bothered much with that information when Yuri lets him know about it while fanning himself with a leaflet from their air company. He doesn't seem to be bothered either when Yuri lets him do all the work and gather their baggage from the carousel.Yuri's leopard print stroller bag stands out like a flash of neon amidst the others, but he was of the mind that since he was moving to another country while four months pregnant under his mate and his family's insistence he had the right to do whatever the fuck he wanted.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually the first part of the series that I wrote. You don't need to have read the other ones to understand it, but it would be nice to read at least the first part (though it's still not complete) to get a semblance of the plot. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Yuri's first impression of Almaty is that it's way hotter than St Petersburg. Otabek doesn't seem to be bothered much with that information when Yuri lets him know about it while fanning himself with a leaflet from their air company. He doesn't seem to be bothered either when Yuri lets him do all the work and gather their baggage from the carousel. 

Yuri's leopard print stroller bag stands out like a flash of neon amidst the others, but he was of the mind that since he was moving to another country while four months pregnant under his mate and his family's insistence he had the right to do whatever the fuck he wanted. 

The first of Otabek's friends Yuri had met was a beta of name Zaid. He had gone to St Petersburg to visit Otabek once, back when he and Yuri lived in his flashy apartment and ate fast food for a living while in-between work stuff. He hadn't lifted any eyebrows on them and was overall a nice guy. But Zaid isn't the one who's come to pick them up at the airport. It's another alpha called Dastan. 

They find him exactly where he'd told Otabek he would be: eating _baursaki_ next to the disembark area. He shakes hands with Otabek while Yuri looms in the background, trying not to stare too much. Okay, his husband was pretty much the best looking man Yuri had ever seen but it was nice to point out he wasn't the _only_ one. 

"And this is Yuri," Otabek introduces. Yuri flashes a smile to which Dastan responds with a curt nod. Yuri knows it isn't traditional for omegas to physically touch another alpha in front of their mate – least of all here where they seem to take tradition very seriously. 

Yuri slouches on Dastan's backseat while he and Otabek talk in fast Kazakh in the front. The radio keeps dying on them and Yuri is starting to feel really nauseous with the heat. He had barely had much to eat in the airplane, god knows how much he hates their salty, tiny food, but keeping an empty stomach is much harder than it used to be. 

"Yura? Everything okay?" Otabek turns to him, slipping back into Russian. 

"Yeah, just tired and hot and hungry." 

Otabek grimaces. "We're almost there." 

Dastan takes a turn that makes Yuri one hundred percent positive he's going to throw up despite not having anything in his stomach. He and Otabek continue talking and Yuri must be pulling a face because Dastan tries to include him in the conversation by asking how far along he is. 

"Four months." 

"Oh, your mother must be excited," Dastan slaps Otabek's shoulder with a loud laugh. 

Yuri twists his nose, which he's sure Dastan and Otabek can see through the rearview mirror. "Hardly." 

 

\- 

 

Yuri has never met Otabek's family personally, the only preview he's had is the loud phone calls from his mother that usually take up two hours of his time with Otabek. Maya and Aisha, Otabek's older and younger sister, hold constant Skype calls with their brother but Yuri's never participated on those. He doesn't know why, because of all of Otabek's relatives the one whose genius he clashes with the most has to be his mother. That becomes obvious when he leaves the bathroom, tired and hungry from the flight, still on his robe, to find her in their new living room bossing Otabek around. 

She's smaller than Yuri had imagined, with straight, long black hair that peeks under the hem of her white hijab. She's thick in the middle, her form wrapped in a beige dress. Yuri can see the similarities between her and Otabek though, the same nose and sharp cheekbones and even the round, almond eyes, the corners wrinkled by crow's feet. Every line of her face denotes sharpness, the downturned corners of her lips a mark that seems to show her perpetual disapproval. She eyes Yuri up and down coldly, lips wrinkling. "There he is," she says, and thrusts her hand forward, "Damira Altin. You must be Yuri." 

Yuri frowns, but takes her hand in his. "Yuri Plisetsky, nice to meet you." Damira's grip is strong. 

"Otabek said you're pregnant," she states, as though she hasn't yet noticed the small bump on Yuri's robe. 

"I am." 

She nods tersely, and turns to talk to Otabek in Kazakh. "Otabek, he's too thin. He can't keep a child like that. Are you even sure-" 

" _I can understand you_ ," Yuri groans in her language, hands on his hips. 

Damira blinks back at him before her surprise morphs back into her hard façade. "Oh, good. So now we can talk," she crosses her arms. 

Yuri exchanges a look with Otabek. 

"Mom, don't you want to-" Otabek speaks up. 

Damira holds up her hand in her son's direction, not looking away from Yuri. "So, how far along are you again?" She squints at him. Otabek sighs loudly, shooting Yuri an apologetic look over her shoulder. Yuri inhales sharply and sits at the sofa's armrest. The apartment is already furnished though still not lived-in. Otabek had been the one who chose the color scheme, or at least he hired someone professional enough so that it now looked mostly clean and unobtrusive, so very different from Yuri's apartment in St Petersburg, cluttered with blacks and animal prints and flashes of pink and purple. 

"I'm four months along," Yuri answers, flipping his hair from his shoulder defiantly. 

Damira's eyes harden. "Four?" She nods before turning to Otabek, "Darling, weren't you in Japan four months ago? Or somewhere like that, I remember you mentioned it?" 

Yuri bristles, sending Otabek a blood-freezing look. Otabek gulps, looking completely lost between his mother and Yuri and his baggages, still in the living room waiting to be sorted. "Mom, I was in Russia with Yuri. I went to Japan last year." 

Damira pouts, switching her gaze to Yuri as though to confirm the information. Yuri lifts and eyebrow, not hiding his disdain. Damira responds by hardening her own gaze. Oh, but this wasn't going to work at all. She is completely arrogant, worse even than Yuri himself. Already he can feel the irritation building up on him. If she wasn't Otabek's mother Yuri'd have already lashed out. 

"Mom," Otabek says, sending Yuri a careful look, "Yuri and I need to get settled. I told you we would invite the family once we'd arrived and rested." 

"Ah, yes, but I wanted to see this for myself," she gives Yuri's belly a pointed glance. "Will you quit work now? You can't take pictures naked with a swollen belly. You shouldn't even be doing that while married," she emphasizes the last part, sending Otabek a look that shows her displeasure for that fact. 

"I don't take pictures naked," Yuri says through gritted teeth. 

Damira gives him an incredulous look, raising an eyebrow in defiance. "Really?" She takes a seat in the armchair in front of Yuri, eyeing the interior critically. "Because Otabek owned a magazine of yours once," Otabek blushes, scratching the back of his neck and staring at the floor, "he used it for sexual purposes probably-" 

"Mom, please," Otabek cuts in, giving her a wide-eyed, meaningful look. 

"Always liked blond things like you, skinny and white," she measures Yuri's form with her eyes, furling her lips in distaste. "I don't see what's the appeal, honestly." 

"Well, then lucky me that your son does," Yuri provokes, "a lot." 

Damira straightens her back, perking up. 

"Mom." 

She glances at Otabek. 

"Could you please come back later?" It's clear that Otabek's trying to phrase it as nicely as he can. "Yuri is very tired. He hasn't eaten much in the flight and we need-" 

"What? He didn't eat?" Damira shoots up from her seat, glaring Yuri's way. "Scandalous! Has he no sense? Oh, but these skinny, Russian things. Otabek, you can't let this go on-" 

Yuri gets up. Otabek looks his way when he passes him, silently apologizing. 

"Get her out. Now," Yuri hisses in his ear, fleeing the room only to end up in the kitchen. He can still hear Damira's screeching voice from the living room and rests his back against the counter. The kitchen too is spacious and shiny, not brimming with luxury because that wasn't Otabek's way, but enough to serve its purpose and avoid the way Yuri had to cram things up the cabinets of his old kitchen. Yuri takes in a deep breath, still listening to the muffled sound of Otabek's mother's voice. She's impossible. Gods, absolutely impossible. This wasn't going to work. Yuri couldn't remain one full minute in her presence without wanting to throttle her. 

Yuri has always been quick to anger, hence the bad review that always gets him. But this affects him so differently. Maybe it's the hormones but Yuri actually tears up now, feeling a well of angst pushing against his chest, this unbearable need to cry. He needed to get out of here, he knew no one, only Otabek, it was hot and hostile and Yuri couldn't have a baby here. This can't work. What was he thinking when he let Otabek convince him to come to Almaty? 

"Are you crying?" 

Yuri opens his eyes. Damira is standing by the kitchen doorway, arms crossed while staring at him. Otabek is behind her, mouth hanging open and sending Yuri the utmost sorrowful look. 

"Oh, leave me alone," Yuri pushes past them, hearing Otabek's steps trying to keep up with him. He doesn't know where he's going, this place is foreign and nothing like his own apartment in St Petersburg. But he knows the way to the bedroom and heads there. 

"Yura, Yura, I'm so sorry. Are you all right? Tell me-" 

"Otabek," Yuri turns on his heels. Otabek halts and watches him warily, the sound of his full name coming from Yuri's lips foreign. "Get her out of here this instant or I'm going back to Russia," Yuri states, leaving no room for argument. Otabek knows that. The way Yuri says it shows he means it, the way Otabek listens shows he understands. "Did you hear me? This instant. I don't fucking care if we're married, I don't fucking care if I'm pregnant. Get _rid_ of her." 

And then Yuri shuts the door to his face. 

 

\- 

 

 _Are you there? Arrived safely? How is it?_  
_Victor said you'd let us know once you guys arrived_

Yuri reads the pig's messages absently, lying on the bed, the door to the room locked. He supposed that woman wouldn't be against barging in on him again so he'd decided to lock it. Otabek still hasn't come back to lick Yuri's wounds so that means she's probably still here, babbling and just generally being a nuisance to his more than already busted welcome party. Yuri fumes silently, scrolling down the rest of the text when the pig sends another message. Katsudon behaves just like a mother hen, which is stupid because Yuri is already grown and had never needed the sort of 'guidance' Yuuri seems willing to impose on him. He believes he and Lilia must keep in touch on his behalf so the pig probably acts as a spy or something. 

_Here's Sasha sending you a kiss_  
_Katsudon sent an [Image]!_

The picture is of one of the twins, sat on the baby chair, face and bib absolutely smudged with an orange pap while a hand, probably Yuuri's, holds up a spoon to him. 

Yuri's brow furrows, _what the hell is that?_ he types back. 

_He likes pumpkin_ , Yuuri answers, and then a pause, _This means you arrived safely?_

Yuri rolls his eyes, _no, this means I'm texting u from hell_

_Hahaha_  
_We're glad you're okay. As for Sasha, don't worry, this will be you in a short while_

_no way, Beka will do that part_

_Right. Knowing him he probably will do everything._

_he better_ , Yuri answers, and then takes a while to think. He wasn't against the idea of having a baby, for god's sake, if he was this was a terrible time to realize it. But Yuri had never been much into children though he, now, longed for something else, another presence that summarizes his love for Otabek. A baby is stressful but Yuri always reads before signing a contract, he knows what he is in for. But he also knows that Otabek should handle it because this was seventy percent his idea. Although Yuri hadn't complained when making it. _At all_. 

There's a knock on the door that takes Yuri out of his thoughts. He sets his phone on the mattress and goes to it. "Who is it?" 

"Yura," Otabek's pleading voice responds from the other side. "Open the door." 

"You don't even know if it's locked," Yuri pouts, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. 

The doorknob turns but the door doesn't open. Otabek sighs. "Very funny. Are you mad at me?" 

Yuri groans, but he does hate Otabek's guilty voice. Knowing him he's probably sporting that vulnerable, kicked puppy look. Yuri turns the key to unlock the door. "There, happy?" 

Otabek engulfs him in a hug, still smelling of airport under his cologne and the scent that is so unmistakably his. "She upset you, didn't she? I'm _so_ sorry, Yura. I told you she was a whirlwind." 

Yuri makes a noise in the back of his throat that sounds a lot like approval, letting his arms fall around Otabek's shoulders. "Yes, well, but you should've set up a scale. She's worse than, fuck, worse than Yakov and Lilia together." 

"She's gone now. But we'll probably have to go to her again," Otabek grimaces, stepping back from Yuri's arms to give him an apologetic smile. 

"What the fuck for?" 

Otabek shrugs. "I have to introduce you to my family." 

Yuri sighs. Gods, how could he look Otabek in the eyes and say _he_ wasn't looking forward to meeting his family? Not if they were all anything like his mother. And not when Yuri hated meeting new people. Otabek was such a family guy that Yuri felt he hurt him for never taking the time to get in touch with his family. He must be now brimming with joy that he managed to drag the two, otherwise magnetic repulsive pieces of his life together to his hometown. Yuri was happy for him, he really was, but he also wanted to be a bit happy for himself. 

"Can't we go another day? I'm tired, I'm fucking carrying a baby, can't they understand that?" 

Otabek sighs, slouching against the doorway. "Yura, I really miss them-" 

"You can see them yourself." 

Yuri maybe shouldn't have said that. Not when the only thing it rewards him is Otabek looking up with those hurt eyes. "You can't mean that." 

Gods, Yuri wants to cry again. He feels like such a mess. Nothing is working out today. "That's not- Beka, come on." 

Otabek doesn't look back at him. "My mom cooked. I'll bring some for you, you can lie back and rest," Otabek dismisses, turning to the kitchen with hunched shoulders. 

Oh, dammit. "Beka," Yuri calls, and Otabek does pause, staring one-eyed over his shoulder. "Don't do the hunchback," Yuri mumbles. Otabek grins, but it's short-lived. Yuri feels like such a monster. He clicks his tongue and flops back on the bed, resting against the pile of pillows he'd made. The new bedroom is much bigger than the last, the mattress large and the pillows soft. It comes attached with a walk-in closet that promised to house the tons of clothes Yuri owns, and a bathroom, complete with a tub and a bunch other stuff. Yuri likes it. 

Otabek comes back with two plates of something that smells delicious. Yuri does his hair up in a bun and sits when his husband hands him the fullest one. "What is this?" He asks, poking at the food. 

Otabek sits beside him, his own plate on his lap. "My mom's secret recipe," he says, but Yuri is already eating. 

Damira is an awful person. In less than the five minutes they'd known each other she'd already been upgraded to Yuri's number one enemy. But Yuri has to give it to her, she cooks divinely. He tries not to let it show that he's enjoying it, mostly because he doesn't _want_ to enjoy it. Otabek's mother cooked it, used her cruel hands to pull this out together and Yuri isn't sure she hadn't somehow poisoned it. 

Yuri knew - though Otabek had tried to hide it – that his mother hated him before everything had even started between them. It was the magazine, Yuri thinks, she must think he is some sort of Playboy bunny that goes around selling photoshopped pictures of his ass for a living. So of course she must hate him for somehow snatching her too good for this world son, and possibly from falling pregnant like some cruel machination to get Otabek to marry him. That still doesn't mean she has to treat him so badly. Yuri knows relationships with in-laws are sometimes tough. Yuuri, the pig, says Victor's mom is terribly scary. Yuri wasn't looking for a best friend in his mother-in-law, but she was a hard bone to bite. She'd end up making him insane. 

"Beka," Yuri calls. Otabek is silent, which isn't new, but it's a different sort of silence. It's the disappointed silence to hide the way he's pissed off. 

Otabek hums in response, but doesn't look up from his plate. 

"I'm sorry," Yuri says. "I'm just really tired," he continues, stabbing at the food with his fork before munching. 

Otabek lifts his head and considers him for a while. His face is completely unreadable. Yuri has tried to perfect that same expression before but whenever he tries to make a stoic face it still comes out as a 'bitch, I'm better than you' scowl. Even in catwalks. That's probably why people don't doubt he is as unlikable as they say. 

"It's okay," Otabek finally says, even quirking up the corner of his lip in a sad smile. "I understand, Yura," he pulls Yuri by the neck to kiss. It's just a peck tasting of homemade food. Yuri would find it gross, but everything about Otabek is gorgeous so if he wants to kiss him after eating onion and garlic pizza it was still going to be the best experience of his life probably. "I shouldn't have put my priorities over yours. It's just that," he sighs, "I miss my family. A lot. It feels weird to be here and not see them, like, it's not the complete experience, you know?" 

"Well," Yuri pauses, "Not really. I only ever miss my grandpa-" 

"Shit, Yura," Otabek hugs him. Yuri lets him, though the position is strange and he is still trying to reach his food. "I'm sorry. It's way worse for you. I'm taking away everything you've known." 

"Yes, I cry every minute thinking of it," Yuri rolls his eyes, pulling Otabek's arms away, "Relax. We'll have a bigger family here, right?" He points at his belly, hidden under the pillow under the plate. 

Otabek's face breaks into a beam. "Yes. Yes, we definitely will," he leans to kiss Yuri again. 

"If you don't eat all of your food, I will," Yuri warns after they break apart. 

Otabek chuckles, "That good?" 

Yuri shrugs, "Don't get me wrong," he stabs at Otabek's plate, munching on one of the crunchy rolls, "Your mother is terrible but she cooks alright." 

Otabek laughs, "All right? I'll tell her you said that." 

"Don't you dare," Yuri shoots him a look. "Honestly, what's up with her? You didn't say she was such..." Yuri tries to choose the nicest word for bitch he knew without saying bitch. He fails. "A bitch." 

Otabek raises one eyebrow. "She is," he stares down at his plate to finish his food, apparently also trying to come up with a word to describe his mother without it being offensive, which would be the truth. "She is difficult to deal with. My mother has always had a very set mind. Old-fashioned, if you prefer. She wanted me to settle with a nice, temperate person that would cook for me and give her grandchildren." 

"Well, I fill out only one of those applications," Yuri considers, "But not in the plural." 

Otabek grins at that, "We'll see." He then continues before Yuri can retort, "And then I show up with you," Yuri rolls his eyes, "A model, which is a profession she doesn't have good a view of," Yuri snorts, "Blond and thin and the personification of everything she finds foreign and therefore distrustful." 

"Lovely," Yuri mumbles, allowing Otabek to gather both their plates and put them at the bedside table when they're finished. "She thinks the baby isn't yours?" 

Otabek makes a very hard face at that, squaring his jaw and glaring at the opposite wall as he settles back next to Yuri. "Forget about that, Yura," he says, in his no-nonsense voice that always has Yuri rethinking his next words. "She'll come around eventually. She's always wanted grandchildren, still pesters Maya about it." 

"Ha, I bet not as much as she pesters me," Yuri grumbles, pulling on the duvet. It's not cold inside the room but the ac has been on for a while and it makes Yuri's bare legs shiver. Yuri takes off his robe and throws it around on the floor. Otabek doesn't have the habit of sleeping naked but he was quite fond of Yuri's, mostly because he can cop him all he wants during the night, the pervert. He eyes Yuri now too, he always does it, even in the times when Yuri goes to bed while Otabek is still working on his laptop, he always glances at him. Maybe it's instinctual, but it just makes Yuri glad he still excites his husband when he's not even trying to. It reminds Yuri of something, "So, she saw my magazine, hn?" 

Otabek flushes and looks away. Yuri laughs. 

"You don't need to act so embarrassed about it, you know? You actually put a ring on it," Yuri tells him and Otabek chuckles, "It's kind of hot that you used to jerk off to me before you knew me. Did I ever tell you that?" 

"Yes, you mentioned it once. And you said it was creepy." 

"Well, I changed my mind," Yuri confesses. "By the way, what happened to it?" 

Otabek sighs, sliding under the duvet next to Yuri. He's still in the same clothes from the airport and Yuri makes a face at it. "She threw it away and chastised me during lunch. It was terrible," Otabek looks up at the ceiling, grimacing, "The whole family was there. I was back from tour. She went to fetch something in my room and found it. We were eating like normal people and then she turns to me to say she had found a dirty magazine in my room. You saw what she's like. Now imagine that amplified, screaming at you at the top of her lungs in front of my whole family." 

Yuri can't help it, he breaks out laughing. Imagining stoic Otabek calmly eating with his family and Damira's shrill cries accusing him of jerking off to Yuri's magazine photos was priceless. 

Otabek runs a hand up his own face in shame. "It was so, so embarrassing," he groans, "Why couldn't she keep that to herself?" 

"It wasn't a dirty magazine," Yuri finally manages to say. He feels like he needs to protect his honor. "It was a normal shoot." 

"But you were wearing like, I don't know, something very sexy. It drove me wild." 

"It was a red underwear," Yuri reminds him, "It wasn't even _that_ sluttish." 

"You don't need to be wearing much to look sexy," Otabek admits. 

Yuri grins at him, leaning to nip his bottom lip. Otabek tries to pull him up to kiss but Yuri draws back. "Apparently, to your mother I can be wearing astronaut clothing and still look like a pornstar." 

Otabek eyes him and lunges to steal a kiss. "Hn, kinky," he murmurs against his lips and Yuri bats at his arm. 

"Gross," he corrects. 

Otabek laughs, settling with both hands on Yuri's waist. "You've never..." 

"What?" Yuri lifts an eyebrow. 

"Taken pictures like that?" Otabek completes. How can he look shy when asking that when he was the most perverted person Yuri knew? He just hid it so well. 

Yuri scoffs. "No. Why? Do you wish I had so you could buy all the copies and keep in your room for your mother to find? What would she think of me?" 

"Don't bring my mother up when you're naked in bed with me," Otabek warns. 

"Oops, sorry. Does the mention of your irritating mother flag you down?" Yuri teases. Otabek rolls his eyes at him. He manages to make it look so cool. "So, now she thinks I'm a porn model or something?" 

Otabek shrugs, "It's probable she may have confused you." Yuri frowns. "Remember Birgit?" Otabek asks. 

"The Swedish whore you fucked?" Yuri slides away. "No fucking way. She thinks I'm her?" 

"No," Otabek is quick to (try) amending, "Her mind works in funny ways. Maybe she thinks you fall on her category." 

Yuri gaps, "I can't believe you made me look bad for your mother. Shit, you have terrible taste. What were you thinking anyway?" 

Otabek shakes his head. "I don't know- Yura, come on," he whines when Yuri takes his pillow to lie at the far end of the bed. 

"Ah, so now it's _Yura_. You don't bring that slut up when in bed with me," Yuri pouts, turning his back to Otabek and grunting when his husband reaches for him. 

"I wasn't bringing her up. I'm just saying, my mother must have thought you looked similar." 

Yuri growls, "I don't have fake boobs." 

"They weren't-" 

"You've said that before, yes," Yuri fumes, "Did you keep her magazines too? Should I be worried you still jerk off to them?" 

Otabek mumbles something in Arabic. "Forget I said that." 

"Good," Yuri states firmly, lying his head down on the pillow. A minute goes by, and Yuri can practically feel Otabek ruminating at the other end of the bed. "Do you think I would look good with boobs?" He asks, and feels the way Otabek tenses. 

"What?" 

Yuri smirks. "Because I'll grow them, you know..." 

"Oh, fuck," Otabek growls, sliding closer to slip an arm around Yuri. "You will kill me, won't you?" 

Yuri elbows his ribs. "Most pleasurably." 

Otabek groans, pressing against his backside. Yuri laughs, "Hey, I am tired, remember?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, [doitforthefics](https://doitforthefics.tumblr.com/) made this incredible fanart based on Yuri's maternity photoshoot that will be featured in this part later on. [Go give it your like,](https://doitforthefics.tumblr.com/post/159853318862/so-i-read-this-amazing-otayuri-model-au-fic-and) because it's given me inspiration to write another chapter of this to make things faster.

Yuri isn't nervous. Really, he isn't. He's met Otabek's mother yesterday and just wasn't ready to face her again, coupled with the rest of his family that also probably had similar opinions about him. Otabek, on the other hand, is impatient. He's woken up two hours before Yuri, to put their stuff in their places inside the new apartment, prepare breakfast and get ready. 

When he wakes Yuri up, already in his jeans and a teal shirt, smelling fresh from the shower and with a tray of food, Yuri doesn't know if he hits him, cry or go back to sleep. He ends up just sitting on the bed and pulling the tray over to his lap because he's dead hungry. 

"Good morning," Otabek greets, giving a small smile. "I already have everything settled. Mom called, we're staying for lunch." 

Yuri grunts, filling his mouth with food. "Can't we ditch it?" 

Otabek shrugs as though he's trying to make up his mind but it's clear he wants to go. "We already called them off yesterday," _there's only so much they can take before thinking you don't want to see them_ , is probably what Otabek really means behind those words, "besides, it's like a welcome lunch. Mom is still mad that we married without their blessing but she agreed to make celebratory lunch today." 

Yuri rolls his eyes, sipping from his orange juice. "How fucking great of her." 

"Yura," Otabek frowns. He doesn't like when Yuri says the _truth_ about his mother. 

"Oh, come on, Beka. She's a pain in the ass. Unless the woman from yesterday was an actress you hired just to scare me off. Was she?" 

Otabek shakes his head. 

Yuri groans. "Fuck. I'm doomed." 

 

\- 

 

Otabek doesn't _say_ anything when Yuri steps out of the closet but his eyes say enough. "What? Something wrong with my clothes?" Yuri asks, abrasively, because he doesn't fucking want to go and he's pissed off and he doesn't care that it is showing. He's pregnant. He can do whatever the fuck he wants because his hormones are driving him crazy, though they aren't completely to blame. But Otabek's relatives don't need to know that. They will find out soon enough when Yuri sticks around. 

Otabek shakes his head. "It's just that-" 

Yuri raises an eyebrow, both hands on his hips. 

"You might have noticed yesterday. Mom is a bit conservative." 

"Conservative?" Yuri looks down at himself. He's wearing light blue jeans – perhaps they are skinny but who gives a damn? -, his leopard print slip-ons and a white crochet tank top because summer here is hot as all hell and he needs the small holes to let air in. Oh, and also because his baby bump is showing a lot and it serves as a big middle finger to Otabek's family. He'd endeavoured putting on his _i got 99 problems but a dick ain't one_ crop top but figured it would be too much. And Otabek wants to complain? This is Yuri being nice because of him. 

Otabek opens his mouth but decides it is better to snap it shut. "Never mind. Let's go." 

They take the elevator to the garage and that's when Yuri starts getting nervous. Otabek opens the door to the passenger seat for him and Yuri enters quietly, buckling his seat belt and braiding his hair back. His belly pokes out from beneath the seat belt cutely and Yuri snaps a picture of it to post. _Driving around Almaty_ , he captions it, adding the baby emoji and #4thmonth #almatyishotashell. Otabek pulls off and soon they are already joining the busy traffic of Almaty. 

"I was wondering," Otabek says, dodging cars and clicking his tongue impatiently. He prefers motorcycles for a reason and gets unaccustomed to driving his car around. "I'll be doing a couple shows around the country in a while. So, I know it sucks and I'll be taking a break once I'm done, but you could stay with mom if you feel-" 

"Gods, no!" Yuri exclaims. He knows Otabek will be out for a week or two for his shows, they'd settled it before, but Yuri expected he would be able to use the time visiting the city, walking around and mourning the absence of his husband inside their apartment, but not stuck in Otabek's mom's house like a damn prisoner. In her company too, what a disgrace. He'd get post-partum depression before he had even gone into labor, or even, he could go into it early by sheer stress. 

"Well," Otabek huffs, "in this case, if you feel safe enough I'm leaving the car with you." 

"Right," Yuri stares out the window with a pout. He'd been looking forward to Otabek not agreeing to it so quickly so he would have a chance to snap at him. Which is not, per see, the way it usually goes. Yuri should've never agreed to come to Almaty. 

 

\- 

 

Good thing he'd brought his sunglasses because Otabek's mom's house has a huge yard and looks big enough to fit half the neighbourhood. And she'll be holding the lunch right on the backyard, under the sheer exposure of the sun. At least that's what it looks like, with the long table arranged outside, white tablecloth on top of it and cutlery already set. A couple men are bringing out the chairs while children run around chasing a ball, the women petering out of the house carrying trays of food. 

Yuri grits his teeth because he has this sudden realization that maybe his lovely mother-in-law had decided to pull this out together – under the sun! - just for him. "Beka," Yuri calls, voice teetering on a thin scrap of patience. 

Otabek takes his hand and starts leading them towards the house. "Hn?" 

"Do you always have lunch outside?" 

Otabek frowns, "it's not usual. But for Maya's wedding banquet we did, yes." 

Yuri sends him a distrustful glance. They're crossing the street and Yuri can already hear the voices. A woman had come to look out the window and spotted them, hurrying inside screaming, so Yuri gathers they already know Otabek and his infamous model husband are already there. Why does Yuri have such a bad feeling about this? He can already picture himself being swarmed and criticized by different people, being made to look coy and at least not as a complete stuck-up as he shook several people's hands and sat under the sun's full glare, shoes ruined by the mud and sweat sticking to his skin, eating strange food prepared by strange people and expected to compliment them for it while the children ran about him – and the ball they were chasing was going to hit him at one point, he was sure of it – and being constantly, painfully reminded that he should start getting used to it because soon he'd have his own. Oh, and they were probably going to pet his belly without his permission too. Yuri should have come with a shirt detailing how far along into his term he was because they're going to ask him about it all the time too. What else can go wrong? Ah, right, his mother-in-law will have the time of her life making disparaging comments about him and Yuri isn't sure if other people aren't going to deny it. 

The front door opens abruptly and Damira, Yuri's mother-in-law, steps out with her arms held wide. "Otabek! Yuri! You've come!" 

"Mom," Otabek smiles, and steps up to hug her. 

And then suddenly it turns into a reception. Yuri quirks his lips up at Damira in a passing greeting and turns his face away to follow Otabek inside. The house smells funny, like old herbs kept inside a plastic cup for too long. It's probably because Yuri's become sensitive to smells now, but it turns his stomach unpleasantly. 

Otabek's relatives make a queue to greet them as they pass, impatient children being held by the shoulders by their mothers. 

"Yura, my father, Arman," Otabek introduces. Arman nods in greeting, smiling serenely up at him. He has turtle-like spectacles, wears a long white tunic and has a darker shade of skin. Yuri shakes his hand. 

"Welcome to the family, Yuri," he says, "nice to meet you." 

Yuri'd expected someone more visibly shaken by Damira's presence in his every day life, but he seems calm enough. They say opposites attract. Well. Next is a tall woman with a straight nose and a purple hijab, who Otabek hugs close to his chest before she kisses both his cheeks. Yuri had never really had a big family, but Otabek's display of affection towards all of them, the way his face suddenly lights up, has him jealous. 

"Yuri, my sister, Maya," Otabek introduces, a hand to the small of his back. Maya smiles pleasantly. She looks shy but kept-together, different from what Yuri had expected her to look like though he'd seen her in photographs before. 

"Oh, Maya," Yuri says in recognizing, "nice to finally meet you." 

Maya nods, "Yuri, it's an honour to see you," she shakes his hand after some hesitation as to if they should hug or shake and laughs embarrassingly. "My husband, Rasul," she introduces the man standing beside her, who looks serious but is friendly enough to step forward to shake Yuri's hand. 

Next is Aisha, Otabek's little sister. "And this little devil here," Otabek begins by saying, ruffling her hair and picking her up. Aisha yelps, giggling and twirling her arms around Otabek's neck. "Is Aisha," Otabek completes, looking up Yuri, "the head of Yuri's Angels junior division." 

"Hi, Yuri," Aisha waves at him with crooked teeth, unashamedly despite her brother's introduction. 

"Aisha," Yuri smiles encouragingly, "I've heard a lot about you, and from you." 

Aisha nods proudly, whining for Otabek to put her back on her feet which he only promises to do once she's given him a kiss. Aisha kisses his cheek with a pointed smack, blushing and looking away from Yuri shyly when he sets her down. Yuri can't help smirking at her, pinching the edge of her cheek. 

The rest are Otabek's aunts and uncles, cousins with their significant others and their children, Yuri'd counted nine of them, all staring at him wide-eyed, feet dirty with mud from playing outside, hurriedly shoved into shoes. After Otabek's finished speaking and Yuri's finished forgetting all the names, Damira hurries them to the table. 

The children happily go back to kicking their ball, Aisha included. Damira shouts at her to be careful not to stain her dress but her daughter barely listens. Yuri takes a seat that he's more or less steered to while Otabek walks around still hugging and talking to people. The food still isn't ready so it seems they usually take this moment to chat, so of course all the women swarm around Yuri to ask about his pregnancy. 

"How far along?" One asks, the aunt with the big butt. 

Yuri opens his mouth but another woman beats him to it, "Four months, don't you remember? Damira said it last week and it's in his Instagram," she then turns to Yuri. "Yuri, I love all of your photos, you're so beautiful. Otabek is really lucky to have snatched you." 

Yuri can't help smiling, "thanks." 

"Ah, yes, Yuri, you're beautiful," another pipes up, "And you're working for Baranovskaya, right? Ah, I watched your fashion show the other day, you were the best of them all. All the other models were so lanky." 

"I guess," Yuri murmurs with a frown, not knowing how he should interpret that, adjusting his napkin on his lap. He's already begun to perspire but at least the air outside is fresher and his stomach has awakened at the smell of food. He can feel the droplets sliding down his temples though and doesn't know how they can stand this heat so naturally while wearing such unrevealing clothes. 

He looks around for Otabek and catches him talking to his father a little farther away. He catches his eye and mentally calls for time out. Otabek excuses himself and heads his way. 

"Are you feeling well, Yuri?" It's Maya who asks, having come to set the glasses and chancing a look at him, furrowing her brows. "You can stay inside if you'd like." 

Yuri doesn't really want to go inside, where it's packed and smells funny but he can't actually say that. Luckily, Otabek shows up. "Yura, come on," he helps him up. 

"Is he all right, Beka?" Maya asks worriedly. 

"Yes, it's just the heat," Otabek says, leading him to the shade of a small tree. Yuri sighs in relief and sags against the trunk. At least the breeze is good. "Were they giving you trouble?" 

Yuri shakes his head. "No, they were nice. It's just so fucking hot, though, I bet your mother must have planned this." 

Otabek frowns, "Yura, come on. Mom has nothing to do with this." 

"Of course she does! She hates me." 

One of the women that were talking to him before brings him a chair and Yuri thanks her, their argument forgotten for a next time. "Are you fine, Yuri? The heat is stifling, isn't it?" Yuri nods. Another comes up to them and whispers in Kazakh, probably not knowing Yuri can understand them. 

" _He won't get through lunch there, he's too fair._ " 

Yuri frowns, about to say he's not but Maya comes up from the house, handing him a glass of cold water and a little towel. Otabek thanks her and Yuri nods gratefully. 

"Beka, I don't think this was a good idea," Maya says to him in Kazakh, "I'll convince mom to take lunch inside. He's pregnant. It's too hot in here for him." 

"No!" Yuri speaks up. They switch their eyes to him immediately, "I'm fine. Beka, I am," he nods pointedly to Otabek. He doesn't want to eat inside or even stay here in the shade as though Otabek's family has something contagious he doesn't want to catch. 

"Yura, I'm sorry, but I don't think you should-" 

"I'll be fine. I just need water and I'll be fine." 

There's a moment of silence, Otabek gazing at the mountains with a troubled expression and his relatives pretending not to be listening. "Well," one of them says, "I think we can work something out." 

In the end Damira's older sister goes inside and finds him an umbrella and Otabek's uncle cello tapes it to Yuri's chair. Yuri feels ridiculous on it, but it really provides him shade even though he sticks out like a sore thumb amidst Otabek's family, white and skinny and blonde, wearing the clothes he usually wears and looking about to faint. But if they thought him delicate at least Yuri can say for sure they lose that impression when the food arrives and they all get to eating. Yuri is _hungry_. 

"Yuri," Maya says. She's sat in front of him, a little bit scared with the speed he seems to be eating. "I didn't know you speak fluent Kazakh." 

Yuri shrugs, still chewing. Otabek answers for him. "Yuri speaks a lot of languages." 

"Oh, really?" Maya's eyebrows lift. 

Yuri swallows his food down with some water. "Not a lot. Just a couple. Beka likes to exaggerate." 

"I don't, he's being modest." 

Maya looks amusedly from one to the other, giving a small, secret smile to her husband before continuing. "Well, it's very impressive. Did you manage it just by picking it up from Beka?" 

Yuri nods. "It's not too different from Russian. But it is still not perfect though now I know more curses words than Beka." 

"Of course he does," Otabek rolls his eyes. Yuri elbows him in the ribs. 

"Anyway," Yuri turns back to Maya, who is hiding her smile behind a hand, "he still says some shit he knows I don't understand just to be a little bastard." Yuri should've stopped there, but he didn't notice the way Otabek tensed and his cheeks became flaming red. 

"Yura, perhaps it wouldn't be-" 

"Like," Yuri repeats the sentence. He doesn't know if he gets it right, doesn't remember much of the pronounce or the syllables so he repeats it. Otabek is murmuring for him to stop and actually covers Yuri's mouth with his napkin. Yuri bats him away and only stops because Maya has ducked her head, her eyes wide and her face red. Then it dawns on Yuri Otabek only ever says that to him in bed. 

"Shit," he mumbles, not without a mischievous snort, "what did I say?" 

Maya shakes her head. Her husband has choked on his drink and Maya pats his back. Yuri looks around but apart from them not many people had heard him, apart from one of Otabek's cousins who has clamped her hands on her son's ears and is staring at Yuri, flabbergasted. 

"Maya, what does it mean?" He asks her but Maya won't say, instead turning her eyes to her brother. 

"Beka, I can't believe you. When did you learn that?" 

Otabek looks like he is going to die from embarrassment. Maya giggles, but sips from her water before settling the glass back on the table. "Little brothers can be so naughty." 

"Oh, come on, what does it mean?" Yuri insists, looking from Otabek to Maya. 

Maya winks at him and waves it away. "I'll tell you later." 

Yuri would've insisted some more but the conversation is lost when a cousin of Otabek's, one of the women who'd helped him earlier, asks if she can get a selfie with him. Yuri stares pointedly at Otabek, urging him not to smile, dabs at his lips and says she can. 

He gives a small smile and Zulfia, yes, that's her name, looks ecstatic, even though she has a terrible angle for selfies. She asks if she can post it and Yuri allows her. When he goes back to the table Maya is smiling at Otabek. "Yuri," she says, catching his curious gaze, "I was telling Beka, there's an outdoor with you on it next to my house." 

"Really?" Yuri forks more of his food. "Which one?" 

"One for a jeans," she frowns, "I don't remember the name. But that model that was with you was really handsome, I mean," she glances at her husband, who is actually talking to her father and isn't attentive to her words, "he was really hot." 

"Oh," Yuri inclines his head, " _Oh_ , he was." Otabek takes in a deep breath beside him, looking like he can't see anything funny going on in their conversation. He'd been so _jealous_ when that add came out, kept Yuri by his side all the time, practically breathing down his neck at every moment and just wanting sex all the time, leaving Yuri's neck with a trail of dark marks. 

Otabek knew it was nothing, just a job. Or at least if he didn't he couldn't complain because he said the same thing for when he'd work on music with those bitchy, scarcely-dressed popstars that were always looking at him as though he was the last cookie in the jar. Indeed, he didn't take promotional pictures with them, all cuddly with their hand on his jeans-clad ass like Yuri's case had been. 

Otabek grumbles about not wanting to talk about that and Maya apologizes, though she winks at Yuri. Oh, Yuri already likes her. Which is good, because he thought she would be a bitch to him. She's been married for way longer than Yuri and from the looks of it Damira had been pushing her to having a baby when Yuri was already half-way there. 

Speaking of which... "Yuri," Damira calls. 

Yuri turns to her. 

"You still haven't eaten the kazy." 

Yuri glances at Otabek. " _Kazy?_ " he mouths. 

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to," Otabek says. Yuri frowns. 

"But what is it?" 

"Traditional! You have to eat it," Damira continues. "It's meat. Good for the baby." 

Yuri shrugs. He doesn't mind eating a little bit more and the thing is an appetizer that at least looks eatable. He serves himself with some of it. Mostly everyone has already finished, so the children have gone back to running and the adults have vacated most of the seats until someone will bring the dessert. The kazy tastes good, not too spicy as Yuri'd feared. Spices aren't sitting well with him now that he's pregnant. 

Otabek watches him eat with a painful expression. "Did you like it?" 

Yuri nods excitedly. "It's really good. What is it?" 

It's Damira who responds. "Horse meat sausage." 

Yuri's eaten horse meat before. It's not his favourite dish in the world but Yuri can eat with relative ease. So he doesn't know why all of a sudden, when Damira says it is horse meat, Yuri feels the contents of his stomach coming up to his throat. He only has enough time to tighten his hold on Otabek's bicep to stand up. 

"Yura?!" Otabek stands with him. Yuri clamps a hand to his mouth and he hates throwing up because everything happens so fast, but Otabek leads him to the inside of the house quickly. Yuri doesn't know where he is walking him into, but suddenly there is a bathroom and Yuri bends over the toilet bowl. 

Otabek pulls his hair away, smoothing a hand down his back and shushing him. 

"What is wrong with- Oh!" Yuri can hear someone, Damira, at the entryway to the bathroom. He is able to recuperate some of his breath, thinking he's about done but there's still a sour bile rising at the back of his throat and Yuri bends again, kneeling on the floor. "I'll grab him some water. Otabek, wash his face." 

Yuri spits into the bowl one last time, shamefully looking at the mess he'd made. He whines, feeling his eyes moisten when Otabek flushes for him. "There you go, it's okay," Otabek helps him sit at the closed toilet seat, dampening a towel hanging next to the shower and dabbing at Yuri's face. 

"Bekaa," he groans, "I'm so sorry." 

"Shh, it's fine, Yura." 

Damira brings a glass of water for him without saying a word. Yuri drinks it and when she goes spits some into the sink. "Can I brush my teeth?" He asks Otabek, who scratches the back of his head and looks around. 

"You can borrow mine but I don't know if mom still keeps it." 

"Never mind. Can I use this?" He grabs a mouthwash next to the sink. Otabek shrugs. 

 

\- 

 

Zulfia, the woman from the selfie, exclaims in delight that her photo with Yuri had already 2 thousand likes, so after throwing up his whole lunch Yuri spends the rest of the day being ushered into selfies with Otabek's family members. They seem to be competing after who can get the highest number of likes in the shortest amount of time. 

Otabek and some of his relatives help take the table back inside and Yuri slouches against the tree from earlier. The place really is beautiful. Damira's house is in the last neighbourhood before the mountains, and they look bigger here, looming and powerful. Yuri stares at them and slides a hand up and down his belly. He sees Maya and Damira approaching him, his mother-in-law carrying some sort of bowl that she hands to Yuri wordlessly as soon as she gets to him. 

"What is this?" He looks at it. They are fruits, strawberries, blueberries and another fruit Yuri had never seen before. "For me? Thanks," he takes the bowl from Damira. 

"I ate this when pregnant with Otabek. After I threw up nothing could stand for long in my stomach." 

Yuri hums, eating some of the fruit and watching her warily. Eventually, she goes. Maya stays, standing beside him. "Is it usual?" She asks. 

"Hn?" 

"The nausea," Maya elaborates, "I thought it was only supposed to happen in the beginning." 

"Yeah," Yuri frowns, and then shrugs, "I still get it though. Not all the time." 

Maya nods and stares down at his belly, where he's supported the bottom of the bowl on. It's still small, visible, but small. "When are you going to find out the sex?" 

"Next week, I think," Yuri licks strawberry juice from his thumb, "Beka made an appointment with someone." 

Maya smiles. "Good. Do you have preferences?" 

Yuri shakes his head. "But I think it is a girl." 

"Really? Beka would love a little girl." 

As if on cue, Otabek appears on their line of sight again, exiting the house and making his way towards Yuri. "By the way," Yuri frowns, "what did that thing I said earlier mean?" 

"Oh," Maya giggles. 

"You said you'd tell me later." 

Maya shrugs, "I would, but not- Look, he's coming. Bye, Yuri." 

"Maya, Maya, wait-" Yuri sighs, tossing a blueberry into his mouth. Otabek looks over his shoulder at his retreating sister. 

"What's wrong?" 

"Your sister won't tell me what those profanities you say to me means." 

Otabek blushes, but slides down the trunk of the tree to sit beside him. Yuri lifts himself to fit between his legs, leaning back against his chest and letting Otabek cup both his hands on the bottom of his belly. "Forget that." 

"How am I supposed to forget that? Come on, Beka, tell me." 

"It's," Otabek pauses, looking around to see if any of his younger cousins were around at hearing distance. "It's alpha lousy talk." 

Yuri hums, "tell me more." 

"It's not. Yura..." 

"Look, I'll ask someone else-" 

"Fine, it's like-" 

"Does it have to do with impregnation?" 

Otabek's silence speaks volumes. "No," he says, tentatively. 

Yuri laughs, "of course it does!" 

"It doesn't, I'm telling you. Why do you think that?" 

"It's your kink." 

"It's-" Otabek doesn't deny it. "Right, it is like-" 

"Take my knot?" 

Otabek blinks down at him. "Almost." 

"How can it fucking be almost that? I-" Otabek ducks to kiss him, stealing Yuri's words for a minute and tasting the fruity juices that leave his lips rosy and so _sweet_. Otabek repeats the words against his lips when they part, his voice low. Yuri hums interestedly. "What does it mean, Beka?" He murmurs. 

"You take my knot so well. I want you fat with my pups forever, sweetling." 

"Sweetling?" Yuri grins. 

"I may have added the last part for effect." 

Yuri bites Otabek's lower lip. "Hmm, Maya was right," he releases it, inching his head up to chase it and lap at the skin, "you're naughty." 

Otabek chuckles, but retributes the kiss, running his thumbs up and down the skin of Yuri's belly. 

"Eww," someone says, and they break apart. It's Aisha, with her clothes stained with mud, phone held up in her hands. From the looks of it she's already snapped the picture of them. 

"Aisha!" Otabek reprimands, "Delete that." 

"No!" His sister goes away running, tapping on her phone. 

"Leave her," Yuri acquiesces, "it's probably already made it into all her accounts. Aren't the angels going to love that?" 

"They won't. They hate me," Otabek mumbles. 

"Yes, because your- what was that? Your 'girls' love me," Yuri rolls his eyes. "They're not even all girls. I know for a fact that there's a pair of male omegas that lick your balls in there." 

"Been paying attention much?" 

"Hell yeah," Yuri hands him a strawberry, which Otabek bites at and licks his fingers clean. "I have an anon account and fuel hate against you. It's fucking amazing." 

Otabek chuckles. "Did you like them?" 

"Who? The fans?" 

"No," Otabek tilts his chin up in the direction of his family. "Did you like them?" 

"Ah," Yuri stares down at Otabek's relatives. He'd expected way worse. So much worse that now he actually feels bad. "Yes. I mean, your mother is still a problem," Otabek sighs, "but your sister is really nice, and your father, and your cousins too." 

Otabek nods. He wears this pleased expression that Yuri is so fond of. "Great. They loved you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tiny chapter just so I can say I updated something for this series :) Also, I was feeling domestic.

Yuri can't sleep. It's official. 

He doesn't know what time it is, only that the floor to ceiling windows in their bedroom showcase Almaty, sky mostly dark save for a yawning of light next to that crazy big mountain. Dawn must be soon, Yuri thinks, but he isn't sure as he's still not used to the city. 

Their apartment is still a bit of a mess. Yuri and Otabek had managed to put the most urgent stuff in their places but things like kitchen utensils were still kept in its boxes. They'd been living out of the food Damira had given them since the family lunch some days ago. Today though Otabek's friends had promised to stop by and help them. Save for Zaid and now Dastan Yuri hadn't met any of his husband's friends yet. Not face to face. They usually left all sorts of comments on Yuri's and Otabek's posts though, so he more or less knew what to expect. Otabek held them in high regards and Yuri can't blame him. 

Yuri kicks the blanket aside and even shrugs away from Otabek's arm, slung over him. His husband is sleeping peacefully beside him and save for a soft sound he doesn't react in any other way to Yuri's movements. Yuri gets up and heads to the bathroom. 

The tiles feel cold under his feet and the bathroom, though spacious and comfortable, is still mostly bare, his and Otabek's toothbrushes lining the counter. Yuri appreciates his face on the mirror. He looks as pale as a ghost under the low light. Mumbling under his breath about the terrible summer, Yuri pees and goes back to the bedroom. 

He fetches his robe and glances at Otabek's still sleeping form before heading to the kitchen. His belly feels empty and achy and Yuri smooths a hand down the slope of it while making his way. 

"You hungry, little devil?" He mumbles. He doesn't know what is so funny about talking to a baby that is still so small its ears aren't probably even there yet, but Yuri feels ridiculous to a point that isn't so bad. The fridge is stacked with food that Yuri doesn't know how to cook. He could heat more of Damira's leftover lunch but he can't stand eating the same thing again. And... he has a craving. 

It's not very definite, but Yuri needs something sweet. Watery too, maybe some fruit. He crouches by the fridge and looks inside for a minute. He finds a fourth of a watermelon hidden behind one of those carbonated milks Otabek adores. Yuri snatches it and shuts the fridge door with his ankle. 

They have two forks, two knives and one spoon that they'd taken out of the box, but they're still lying at the sink, dirty from last night's dinner. Yuri wrinkles his nose and leans against the island. He takes a first bite of the watermelon and hums at the cold, watery, sweet flavor hitting his mouth. He feels the juices sliding down his chin and dries it with the back of his forearm, ducking to take another bite. 

Strange, he had never really liked watermelons, but right now it feels divine. He eats half of it and is already thinking about what he's eating next when Otabek appears on the doorway, in sweatpants and bleary, confused eyes. 

"Yura?" He asks, squinting in Yuri's direction. "Why are you up? What are you eating?" Otabek frowns, glancing at the watermelon clutched between Yuri's hands and the gap on his robe that leaves the cute round shape of his belly visible. 

"Watermelon," Yuri says with his mouth full. 

Otabek scratches the back of his head, analyzing him for a moment before giving small steps into the kitchen. "I thought you didn't like them." 

Yuri hums, "I think I've never tried it before," he licks juice out of one of his fingers. 

Otabek gives him a small smirk under the light of the open fridge. He takes out his milk carton and gobbles some of it down. Yuri would probably chastise him for doing that, unhygienic, but he doesn't drink that shit so he's out of risk of being contaminated with his husband's early morning drool when drinking straight from the carton. 

Otabek leans against the counter in front of Yuri and for a moment all they do is eat and drink. There is a faint light coming from the dining room, which must mean the sun is coming up. 

"Did you eat all of that?" Otabek asks, still frowning at the watermelon that Yuri is now supporting on the small curve of his stomach. 

"Yeah, I think I did," Yuri answers nonchalantly, and looks up to find Otabek still looking at it. "Stop staring, freak." 

His husband gives a small smile. "It's a cute belly button." 

"It is not!" Yuri turns to throw what is left of the watermelon away. He's grown self-conscious of his belly button now. "It's poking out and it's weird as fuck," he rubs one finger over it. It fells strange, like the baby was pushing his flesh out and trying to erupt from it. 

Otabek abandons his carton on the counter and moves towards him. He has this smile and those still swollen eyes from sleep. He smells like warmth and their bedsheets when he steps up to Yuri. "It's the most adorable belly button I've ever seen," he says, reaching up to touch Yuri's waist, "I think I'll even write a song about it. What do you think?" 

Yuri dodges the way he tries to kiss him, groaning. He's not up to morning breath mixed with carbonated milk and watermelon. Ew. "I think it'll be a weird fucking song and you'll lose all of your sponsors and fans and shit," Yuri loses track of his words when Otabek huffs next to his neck, pecking the side of his throat and just generally being a furnace next to Yuri's overheated body. 

"You know, proximity is a bitch when you're this hot and summer is so fucking stifling," Yuri states, although his tone lost some of its indignance. 

"I don't agree," his husband says, and runs a thumb down Yuri's chin to clean it off fruit juice. Disgusting. But well, the things they do in bed are even more disgusting, if Yuri stops to think about that. 

"Of course you don't, you were genetically selected to live here," Yuri complains, though he doesn't push Otabek away. "I'm a foreigner who's lived under the snow for most of my life." 

"Yura," Otabek interrupts him, "relax." 

Yuri clicks his tongue, but doesn't find anything else to say when Otabek starts rubbing his belly soothingly. He makes a pleased sound in the back of his throat and lets his head hang back until he's staring at the ceiling. "When are your friends coming?" He asks instead. 

"After noon," Otabek mumbles and then leans to set a kiss on Yuri's exposed collarbone. "They'll love you, you know there's nothing to worry about." 

Yuri snorts, "right. If there was they'd be so motherfucking late because well, a kid and a ring is a huge advance." 

Otabek chuckles, and then steps back. Yuri misses his hands and the calming massage he'd been doing on his belly. More than that, he feels like the baby, although it's too small to move yet, has settled down. Otabek puts his carton back in the fridge and slaps Yuri's ass cheek playfully, "Come back to bed, baby." 

Yuri whines. "Don't call me baby. It makes me think of _the_ baby." 

Otabek stops next to the doorway, looking amusedly at Yuri. "Yeah? Come back to bed then, belly button princess." 

Yuri gasps. "What did you say!? You dick! You better run, Altin."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter out of the oven!

Yuri is squatting in the living room, ungracefully filtering through the contents of the boxes when the doorbell rings. It's an odd sound, and Yuri perks up, staring back at Otabek, a few steps away installing the television. 

"It must be the boys," Otabek says with a glance in Yuri's direction, leaving the remote controller on top of the still unset coffee table. Yuri self-consciously nudges a lock of his hair behind his ear, pretending to be engrossed on his stuff. He should've worn something better than faded leggings and a sleeveless shirt but there wasn't much use in actually dressing well to stay home. Was there? When you were receiving guests, maybe. Whatever. 

Yuri tenses when Otabek opens the door and is immediately greeted by a manly voice Yuri hadn't heard before. Yuri can hear the sound of them clapping each other's backs and the new guy – the intruder – teasing Otabek for having finally come back to Almaty. 

Their voices get louder and louder and Yuri stands up from his position to meet the newcomer. 

Otabek's friend is shorter than him, with deep eyebrows and a button nose. His hair is bleached at the tips, and Yuri hopes he hadn't made a face when spotting it. 

"Yura," Otabek steps up beside him, "this is Alen. Alen, this is Yuri, my husband." 

Alen nods and smiles. He has a very large smile, and extends his hand towards Yuri. "So good to meet you, Yuri. Your Instagram is a thing of legends," he says and even winks his way. 

Yuri glances at Otabek and returns his handshake. "Uh, thanks, Alen." 

"Hey, congratulations on the baby too, by the way. Our Beka is fast, isn't he?" Alen teases, and grabs at Otabek's shoulder so he can bend down and laugh. Yuri forces a chuckle just so he won't feel bad. 

After that Otabek directs Alen to help him set the coffee table, and they talk while Yuri continues taking out the contents of the box. He takes the miniature cat that he kept in his apartment in St Petersburg and dabs a cloth over it. 

Otabek leaves the room to get them more water when Yuri's bottle empties, and the room is left in uncomfortable silence. 

"Did you meet Damira?" Alen suddenly asks. Yuri hums and turns to him, to find him settling the coffee table's leg. 

Yuri huffs, not managing to hide the disdain that he feels when his thoughts turn to his mother-in-law. "Yes." 

Alen hums. "Nice, isn't she?" He asks, and Yuri actually _looks_ at him. He can't be that stupid, right? Alen glances up at him and laughs, "just kidding." 

Yuri lets out a relieved, amused breath and shakes his head lightly. He's curious about something though. "Beka said she's like that with everyone he's ever dated," he states, and leaves it hanging there for Alen's agreement or not. 

"Yeah, she's very selective, I think," Alen muses, settling the table with a pop. "She scared all of Beka's girlfriends and boyfriends away. You had to see it. It was actually funny to watch." Alen gives a small laugh, but wipes his smile away shyly when Yuri looks in his direction. "Of course it's different with you, you snatched Beka right away, so maybe she wants to make up for that." 

"Hn," Yuri makes, and tries to think of anything else he might want to know about Otabek. His friends, Yuri now realized, could be a gold mine for Yuri if he made the right questions. They were more honest about Otabek's family and past than Otabek himself, who kept things from Yuri for some reason. Like, how annoying his mother really was. 

But then Otabek steps into the room, three water bottles in hand. Yuri snatches his own right away. "Thanks, babe," he says, just because he can. Otabek raises an eyebrow and grins his way, moving to finish adjusting the television's setting. He looks a bit suspicious, but doesn't comment. 

The second to arrive is Dastan. He nods in Yuri's direction and Yuri raises a hand in a small wave. He starts talking with Otabek and Alen in no time though, and Yuri gets up. "I'll go finish putting my stuff in the bedroom," he says, and they all nod. 

Yuri goes to put his clothes in the closet, glad he isn't within earshot of their conversation anymore. His phone vibrates under the waistband of his leggings. 

_Katsudon has sent a message_ :   
_How is the moving going?_   
_Lyosha had a fever last night and I'm taking him to the doctor_   
_Katsudon sent an Image!_

The picture is a selfie, Yuuri sat at the driver's seat inside the car, his son sat on his chair in the backseat, snuggling a lion plushie and snoozing. 

_poor guy_ , Yuri types.   
_it's fine. Beka's friends r here now tho_   
_hey, don't type while driving!!_

_I'm not. I'm waiting for Victor to get in the car_

_what abt sasha?_

_Babysitter_ , Yuuri answers, and then takes a while to send him more.   
_If you were here you could watch him for us. It could serve as practice too_ , he writes, and then a slightly sad emoji. 

_so now u miss me_   
_fucking selfish_ , Yuri teases, and then, _is a sitter rlly necessary tho?_

Yuri'd been thinking about looking up some, but Otabek kept postponing the idea. Yuri could tell he wasn't fond of it, but he'd have to start looking at it with new eyes. They couldn't watch the baby forever and both their jobs demanded they spent time abroad, which didn't match well with raising a baby, at all. 

_For twins, yes. Lol_ , Yuuri answers. 

He types more shit but Otabek shows up to tell Yuri they're finished with the living room and that he should go eat whatever a guy called Daniar had made. Yuri wasn't even aware more people were in his apartment, but when he gets there he sees four new faces. The guy who is cooking is the Daniar one. He looks like a basketball player, tall and long and lanky. He tells Yuri he is "charmed" to meet him. Yuri finds it funny. 

The other is Serik, Otabek's height, dark hair and soft features. He reminds Yuri of a model he'd seen once, but couldn't tell where from. He seems to be the most enchanted with Yuri's pregnancy, snatching glances at his slightly round lower belly and asking him questions concerning it whenever. 

The one with a tattoo on his neck is Samir. He's attaching the photo of Clawdia that Yuri had made into a portrait to the wall. He nods towards Yuri and thanks him for having brought Otabek back to Almaty. The last one is a woman. She's got an undercut, black hair styled into a braid on one shoulder. She wears a brown leather jacket and actually hugs Yuri when she sees him. 

"Shit, Beka," she teases, looking Yuri up and down pointedly, "you were right to snatch that." 

Otabek flushes, but doesn't deny it. 

"He damn was," Yuri fuels and the woman, Roja, bursts out laughing. 

"I love you already, Yuri," she exclaims. "By the way, you're so much more beautiful in person. I bet everyone tells you that, but I'm not lying. No wonder Beka fell head over heels for you so quickly. He's always had a thing for blondes," she winks Otabek's way. 

Yuri doesn't really know what to say to that, but soon enough Alen, who has finished setting the coffee table, ushers them towards the kitchen. Whatever Daniar's making smells delicious. They sit around the kitchen's center counter while Samir hands them the clean plates that Serik has finished washing. It reminds Yuri of highschool and its nosy cafeteria for a moment until Otabek takes the place right next to his and sets a comforting hand on his thigh. 

"Do you know the sex yet?" Serik asks, nodding in Yuri's direction. 

"No, but we're getting an ultrasound in two days," Otabek proudly answers. His friends boom and coo. 

"We have to throw a baby shower," Roja says excitedly, "for Beka's baby boy or baby girl. Ow, so cute. Our little Beka is growing up." 

Daniar, stirring the contents of something in their new frying pan laughs loudly. He's very tall so when he does that it is actually booming. "He's _already_ very grown up if there's a baby on the way, don't you think?" He turns from the oven to ask. 

The boys laugh and Roja weakly tries to defend herself. 

"Sorry, they're a loud bunch," Otabek whispers in Yuri's ear. Yuri grins and gives him a peck. 

"No, but she's right, there has to be a baby shower," Alen speaks up, "we've gone without a wedding already. Beka, you own us a night of free drinks and food," he points a finger at Otabek, that Dastan promptly bats away. 

"Gods, Alen, you're so inconvenient," he mumbles. 

"Yes, Beka doesn't have to feed our sorry asses," Roja agrees. She then turns to Yuri. "Yuri, Beka mentioned he'll be taking off for a tour soon. Anything you need, let us know." 

Yuri really does appreciate the offer, and tells her so. Daniar then bangs his wooden spoon on the pan to calm them down. "All right, you starving bunch, open up," he says, and everyone opens more space for him to place the frying pan in the center. 

He's made yakisoba, Yuri sees, and the smell has his belly roaring. Thankfully, no one hears him over the clamber to get their forks and knives. Samir comments that they should've brought hashis to eat it with and then starts arguing with Serik over the origins of the yakisoba, Japanese or Chinese. According to Daniar though, Yuri has to get the first bowl since he's pregnant – baby privileges, he calls it -, and so he's handed the fullest bowl, noodles dripping down the sides. Yuri laughs and digs in. 

Daniar doesn't look like the cooking type – though Yuri doesn't know if cooking _has_ a type -, but his yakisoba is divine. Maybe it's because he's hungry too, his grandpa kept saying how the best flavor to a food was hunger, but Yuri doesn't think so. 

"Shit, this is really good," Yuri says, pushing noodles into his mouth with his hand when he can't seem to close his whole mouth around it. It mustn't be a pretty sight but for some reason it feels like Otabek's friends love him all the more for it. 

"Daniar is full of surprises," Otabek says and Daniar hums in agreement, shoveling yakisoba into his mouth. "He plays volleyball and cooks like a chef," Otabek fills Yuri in. 

Yuri widens his eyes. "Volleyball? I thought he played basketball. He's huge." 

They laugh, and Daniar shrugs. "My father was the tallest man alive a few years back. He was in the Guiness and all." 

Yuri gasps, but Roja is quick to elbow him gently. "It's not true, he tells everyone that." 

They burst out laughing at Yuri's confused face. "What a farce," he grumbles, and they laugh all the more for it. 

"You can't fool genetics," Daniar says, "take Beka for example," he slaps a hand at Otabek's neck. Otabek gives a put-upon sigh playfully, "Mama Altin passed him her genes, like, his cheerfulness," he jokes and Otabek bats his hand away, "his light-heartedness." 

Yuri almost chokes on his food. His eyes positively water at the corners. He can't laugh through a mouthful of food though, and takes some deep breaths through his nose to calm down. 

"Don't mess with mama Altin," Serik points his dirty fork in Daniar's direction. 

"I love that woman," Daniar exclaims, and shovels his fork into his food, "met her yet, Yuri?" He asks, and Yuri nods, still recuperating. "She's good, you just have to break her in." 

"I hope," Yuri mumbles under his breath, but he can tell Otabek heard it. 

"All right, let's stop talking about my mother," Otabek intervenes. They grumble some more but change the subject. 

 

\- 

 

Otabek is washing his hands on the bathroom sink while Yuri lies on the bed, analyzing the cover of the newest book Otabek was reading. "Did you like them?" Otabek asks, drying his hands and moving towards him. 

Yuri gives a small smile. "They were nice." 

Otabek nods, lifting the sheets to fit in beside Yuri. "I know it's a difficult time for you." 

Yuri throws the book on his chest and raises one eyebrow. "Sorry, do we know each other?" 

"Yura, seriously," Otabek takes the book and sets it on his bedside table. With all the furniture set their apartment now looks like something out of a design magazine. It's much wider than Yuri's in St Petersburg, and much more mature too. "We're in a city you've never been to before and I am asking you to adapt and have a child here. It's not easy." 

Yuri watches him for a moment before spreading his arms. "You're right, cuddle me." 

Otabek huffs amusedly, but does as he is told, letting Yuri wrap his limbs around him. "My friends are your friends too, you know? That's why I wanted to introduce you. Of course you can have your own friends as well, but you'll never be alone here. You know my family too and if you ever need help with anything-" 

"I get it, Beka, Christ," Yuri rolls his eyes. Otabek remains silent for a minute and Yuri tucks his head into his neck, "thanks." 

Otabek plants a kiss on the top of his head. "I just love you so much, kitten." 

Yuri purrs, leaning his head back to see Otabek's face. They kiss for a while, long and lazy. "Love you too," Yuri says against his lips and lifts on his elbows, pushing Otabek back down. 

"What?" Otabek asks, confused for a minute before Yuri throws one leg over his hip and rolls his slowly hardening cock against Otabek's thigh. "Oh," he makes, and clamps a hand around Yuri's waist to keep him there. 

"We haven't christened the bed yet," Yuri remarks, "blowjobs don't count," he says, remembering what this morning's chase around the apartment had led to. 

Otabek's eyes darken, biting his bottom lip as he inclines himself to peck Yuri's lips. "What counts then? Anal?" He murmurs darkly, squeezing Yuri's buttocks in his hands demonstratively. 

"Well, obviously, smartass," Yuri shoves him back down, lowering Otabek's waistband until his monstrous cock bobs out of underwear. It's not completely erect yet but they can work around that. Yuri's breath ghosts over the expanse of his husband's belly, following the path of the swollen vein that always stands out towards his crotch. With no further ado, he wraps his hand around the length and gives a few pumps, his own cock twitching towards his belly. Otabek just watches him from his position on the bed, like a damn sultan, arms crossed behind his head, eyes half-lidded as he lazily watches Yuri getting him worked up. 

"Show me your belly," Otabek says, reaching out with a hand towards Yuri's midsection. 

Yuri rolls his hips and then rolls his eyes, letting go of Otabek's cock to lean closer, swollen belly in Otabek's line of sight. 

"Oh, Yura," Otabek sighs, cupping both hands on the round shape that is low on Yuri's belly. "So perfect, so beautiful," he continues, and Yuri reaches out for the lube on their bedside table. They hadn't spared on their sex needs, getting two full tubes of lube and a large condom box because Yuri was planning on having lots of sex during this pregnancy, yes, sir. 

Yuri fits a lubed finger inside himself and gasps out, supporting his other hand on Otabek's stomach. 

"Have you-" Otabek tries to look around, "I want to see." 

"Either the belly or the ass, big boy," Yuri states the terms, reaching further into himself and adding a second finger. He's taking more time to open up now. Normally when he started getting wet when he saw Otabek's dick they could already get started with two fingers and add a third just for the show before he was ready. It must have something to do with his pregnancy but Yuri doubts it's of much importance. 

"No, like," Otabek mumbles, pumping both their cocks together and hissing out when Yuri moans loudly and clamps around his own fingers. Otabek dips his fingers on the pre-cum leaking from their slits before reaching one hand back into Yuri, the other still firmly holding him up by the side of his belly. "How many in there?" He pants, joining his fingertips at Yuri's rim. 

"Two," Yuri breathes, letting his head fall forward. 

"Three now," Otabek counts, and squirms his finger inside alongside Yuri's. Yuri groans brokenly, supporting his forearm on Otabek's chest and meekly trying to look down at himself. "Four?" Otabek asks, squinting at him. 

Yuri bites his own tongue and nods, trying to pull his cheek apart for another of Otabek's finger to slip inside. He feels stretched to the max when it's fully in, all four of them, but he knows with Otabek's dick he gets wider than this. He tries to match Otabek's pace, in and out, scissoring and opening himself up. 

Yuri gropes around for a condom. Otabek frowns at him, but doesn't say anything when Yuri takes his fingers out to slip it around Otabek's cock. He groans then. "What-" 

"I don't want to take another shower," Yuri says, and Otabek dutifully takes his own fingers out of his ass, pulling his cheeks and apart and grunting when Yuri lifts himself on his knees and falls back down on his cock. 

The sting of it surprises Yuri, who clings to Otabek's shoulders. 

"Okay?" Otabek asks with a huff, looking down at his own sheathed cock as it spears Yuri's cheeks apart. Yuri nods, relaxing and lowering himself down slowly. Otabek's cock burns him from the inside, so hard and big. Yuri rests his forehead on his husband's chest, Otabek's hands clawing at his thighs until he's fully seated. 

Yuri draws a deep breath and lets it out, panting. Still a struggle to fit all of that inside him. 

"Can I move?" Otabek is quick to ask, hips jumping on impulse. 

Yuri slaps his chest, "hold on for a second." He drinks more of the sensation in, his belly round and heavy in front of him, and Otabek's cock twitching inside him, so full. "Fuck, this is good," he lets out and nods at Otabek. 

Otabek rolls his hips up into him, but the position is uncomfortable. Yuri helps him out, beginning to heave himself and sink back down. It takes a while but the lube helps them out and soon enough they find a proper rhythm, Otabek's hips thrusting up whenever Yuri sinks down, their hisses and moans echoing inside the room. 

Otabek's hand is rubbing at Yuri's belly, watching him under his eyelashes. He's murmuring something under his breath that Yuri recognizes as 'beautiful' and some other things he usually says, including the ones Yuri'd repeated to Maya the other day. 

Yuri huffs, panting and sweating already. Damn summer. "Have you no shame?" He asks, lowering himself until Otabek's cockhead hits his prostate. His cock throbs and twitches, balls drawing up. He was so close, the feeling of Otabek's dick hitting that sensitive spot sparking down his spine and liquefying Yuri's brain. 

Otabek smirks lazily, grunting with every sharp thrust of his hip. Yuri comes first, drawing repetitive short breaths and squeezing tight around him when his orgasm hits him, spilling warm semen all over his stomach. Otabek gasps at the scene, fastening his pace and almost knocking Yuri out of his lap. 

"Careful, bastard," Yuri shouts, holding on precariously until Otabek fists the sheets underneath him, snapping his eyes shut and tensing. He groans and bends over himself, keeping Yuri's hips firmly down as he fills the condom. 

Yuri lays back down and shivers, still squeezing around Otabek in short shocks. "We're getting better at this," he mumbles and Otabek finally moves to help him out. They both hiss when his soft dick slips past, and Yuri does the honors and takes the condom off him, tying the end and handing it back to him. 

Otabek stands up to throw it at the bin in their bathroom, his legs still a bit shaky, hitching his sweatpants back up. Yuri watches him from the blankets, looking down at himself and frowning at the mess on his stomach. He's sticky with sweat and lube between his thighs too. So much for not taking another shower.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a new chapter!

"Are you sure you're gonna be all right?" 

Yuri sighs, rolling his eyes at his husband. Otabek is sat on the bed, packing the rest of his stuff for his tour. 

"Yes, I'm fucking sure," Yuri grumbles. He's sure he's been answering to that same question all week long. He squishes the belly of the turtle plushie that Sabina, Otabek's stewardess, had gifted them when hearing the news on the baby. It starts playing a lullaby. Yuri sets it aside. 

With Otabek's tour planned out Yuri'd been meaning to go around the city to buy baby stuff. The nursery had gotten a paint job a few days ago (plain white walls as they still didn't know the baby's sex – they promised to wait out until Otabek returned to get the ultrasound done), but as far as the other decorations went it was still empty. Yuri had been postponing it for fear of spoiling the pregnancy, but he figures he'll be bored enough all by himself and baby stuff are freakishly cute enough that he feels like buying everything. 

"You know you can call my mom," Otabek says, zipping up his bag. Yuri grunts, "or my sister. Anyone you feel comfortable with." 

Yuri hums, resting against the headboard. Otabek sighs and comes to stand beside him. "I just want you to be fine." 

"I'm an adult. I think I can handle myself." 

Otabek sighs, cupping Yuri's face softly. "Call me every day, okay?" 

"Yes," Yuri leans in to kiss him. 

Otabek pats his knee kindly and gets his bag from the floor. "There's room for you if you want to," he says sheepishly but Yuri is already groaning. 

"I think we both agreed it wouldn't _be good for the baby_ ," Yuri mimicks Otabek's voice. He's been getting increasingly tired of hearing those words. Otabek sighs and opens his mouth to protest, a hand scratching nervously at the top of his undercut, but Yuri cuts him to it, "I know you just want me to be fine. And I will be." 

Otabek shrugs half-heartedly, a sour turn to the corner of his lips. "It won't take long anyway, three weeks at most." 

Yuri hums. "So three more weeks before we know the sex," he indicates the tiny bump on his belly. Otabek makes the most unbearably fond face at him, reaching his arms out to hug Yuri's middle. 

"I'm gonna miss you two so much," he whines. Yuri chuckles. 

"Yes, well, we're not going anywhere." 

Otabek hides his face next to Yuri's belly and they stay like that until Yuri bats him away. "Come on, you have a flight to catch, don't you?" 

Otabek lazily gets his bag from the floor and follows Yuri out of the apartment, a hand to the small of his back. He throws the car keys Yuri's way when they reach the garage, "I'm leaving it with you. Might as well get used to it." 

Yuri rolls his eyes but takes the driver's seat, waiting until Otabek has finished loading the trunk with his bags before taking the passenger seat. Yuri starts the car and takes some time manoeuvring himself out of the slot. "Don't fucking say a thing," he hisses to Otabek after he has finally managed to go up and out of their condo's garage. 

The traffic isn't so terrible at this time and Yuri follows Otabek's directions as calmly as possible, which is difficult. 

"I told you to take the left," Otabek insists, their road becoming farther and farther away on Yuri's rear-view mirror. 

"You did not," Yuri slaps his hand on the steering wheel, "you just fucking pointed, I'm not watching you, I'm watching the fucking road." 

Otabek sighs. "Well, you can't miss the next one then." 

Yuri grumbles under his breath, speeding down the avenue. Otabek was of the mind that they didn't need a GPS to go places. But that was easy for him to say and do since he knows Almaty like the back of his hand. To Yuri though, the traffic signs are in another language and the other drivers are super slow. 

"Slow down a little bit, would you?" Otabek says. 

"Don't tell me what the fuck to do-" 

"Now," Otabek surges up to point at the next connection to the left lane. Yuri grits his teeth and makes a swift turn, almost scraping the cemented border when they emerge on their lane. The car right beside his has to slam on his brakes really hard not to hit them and Otabek turns on his seat to check if Yuri hadn't just caused an accident. 

"Shit, Yuri, you can't just do things like that. You could've caused a serious accident." 

"Just shut up, for god's sake," Yuri snaps, punching a finger on the radio button to get it turned on. Eric Clapton accompanies them the rest of the way to the airport, Otabek still with a hand to his chest. 

Yuri parks at the airport's garage, trying his hardest not to nick any cars. Otabek, to his credit, doesn't say a thing. Yuri grabs his husband's backpack from the trunk, as it is the lightest thing Otabek lets him carry. Otabek takes the rest of his bags from the trunk and types some things on his phone. 

"My crew will be here in a while to get those," Otabek says, indicating the too heavy baggage he'd taken out. "Let's go." 

Yuri takes his hand and follows him up to the elevator, adjusting his hair in front of the mirror. "Will there be cameras?" He asks, and Otabek shrugs. 

"Maybe one or two but nothing major," he reaches out to nudge a lock of hair away from Yuri's forehead. 

Yuri follows on Otabek's heels as they reach the boarding floor, being pulled by the grasp of their hands. He keeps his eyes down in case anyone looks in their direction and decide to stop them for a selfie. Otabek greets a man in jeans and a jacket, who nods at Yuri and leads them towards the other end of the airport, where he indicates the door Otabek has to go through to reach security. Otabek nods and turns to Yuri, the man taking his chance to awkwardly leave them alone. 

"I'll facetime you once I reach Astana, okay?" Otabek tells him, cupping the back of Yuri's head. 

"Yeah," Yuri nods, trying to not let it show that he doesn't want Otabek to go. Not now when he's about to leave through that door and not return until weeks later. 

"If you feel anything, even if it's nausea or-" Otabek begins, but Yuri rolls his eyes, "Yuri, I'm serious," he tightens his hold on Yuri a little bit. "If you feel anything different, tell my mother or my sister. I'll be too far to be of much help but they can take you to an emergency." 

"Oh my god, I'm barely at five months, the baby won't fucking spring out of me," Yuri insists. 

"Just be careful. Promise me," Otabek rests a hand on the soft curve of Yuri's belly. 

Yuri nods controversially, letting Otabek pull him into a hug and nosing the underside of his ear, where his scent is rich and strong. "I'll tell your sister though, your mother is a pain in the ass." 

Otabek chuckles minimally. "Great. I'll miss you, kitten," he pulls back to say, a thumb running up Yuri's cheekbone. 

"I'll miss you too," Yuri mumbles with a pout. He feels his face flaming and he wants nothing more than to bury his nose in his alpha's essence once more, but Otabek pecks the tip of his nose before engulfing Yuri in a deep kiss. 

Yuri closes his eyes and tries to memorize the shape of Otabek, his sheer presence. They let up not too long after, with Otabek paying him a small smile. "Love you," he says. 

"Love you too," Yuri presses back. Otabek chuckles and finally lets go of him, turning to follow his assistant through the door. He looks back before crossing the threshold, waving a hand over his shoulder at Yuri. 

 

\- 

 

It's strange to wake up without Otabek by his side, but Yuri just groans and pulls the covers over his head to fight off the sunlight streaming through the window. He sleeps another hour before finally waking up to a growling belly. 

He pads, bleary eyed, to the kitchen, where he finds some leftovers from yesterday's lunch and some fruits. Yuri shoves them aside to find cheese, half a bottle of ketchup and yogurt. None of that suits Yuri's needs. Yuri and the baby are roaring for a steak, dripping with grease and something very spicy. Maybe curry. 

Scratching at his hair, full of knots, Yuri dials on his phone. "Maya? Are you at work? Oh... your lunch break? Perfect." 

 

\- 

 

Maya is already waiting for him by the time he makes it to the restaurant she'd spoken of. It's downtown, near her office, she'd said, and full of costumers at lunch break. His sister-in-law is sipping on a glass of water when she sees him coming, offering a kind smile as the waiter stumbles on his heels to approach and pull the chair out for Yuri. 

"Thank you," Yuri grants in confident Kazakh, taking the seat and instantly grabbing the menu. 

"Yuri, I'm glad you could make it," Maya says, fingering her own menu open. "How have you been without Beka?" 

Yuri shrugs one shoulder, eyes on the main plate options. "So far, so good." Otabek had called him every night to know how Yuri had been doing. Yuri'd shown him his belly when Otabek asked for it, angling the camera lower. Otabek was in Akhtobe now, wherever that was. 

"Good, mom has been worried about you," Maya continues, giving him knowledgeful eyes. "She says you haven't been calling." 

"Yeah," Yuri snarls. Maya laughs. 

"Did you choose what you want already?" She asks when Yuri sets his menu down. Yuri nods with a smirk and Maya calls for the waiter. 

Yuri moans when his teeth sink into the spicy meat, keeping his mouth full and having trouble chewing before swallowing it down to take another vicious bite. Maya keeps her eyes down on her own food, clearly a bit shocked though she doesn't make a comment. 

"It's the baby," Yuri manages to say between bites, when he pauses to dab his lips with the napkin. 

"Oh," Maya makes and nods along. "Do you have any plans for the next days?" 

Yuri shrugs, finishing chewing to speak. "I have yoga in the morning then I'm thinking about baby shopping during the afternoon. Want to go?" 

"I'll be working," Maya smiles sadly. "But good luck." 

 

\- 

 

Yuri nudges the door closed with his ankle, humming under his breath while eating a spoonful of the frozen yogurt he'd bought after leaving yoga. He drops his practice bag by the door and walks further into the apartment, turning on the central air conditioner and dropping on the sofa. 

There are two missed calls on his phone, both from Otabek. Yuri rolls his eyes and taps to call back, supporting the phone on his thigh while finishing his yogurt. 

Otabek answers on the fourth ring, the top of his face coming into view as he eyes the camera. "Yura, babe," he greets, smiling diligently and adjusting the phone to encompass the whole of his face. "Where were you at? I called and couldn't reach you." 

"Yoga," Yuri answers, slurping on the last of his plastic cup. Since Otabek's left, almost two weeks ago, Yuri's been feeling more like a glutton than ever. He's officially outside of his diet, something his doctor had recommended but which Yuri thought he wouldn't actually go through. "What about you?" 

Otabek scratches the top of his head and takes a look around. "Hotel room. My show was last night but I have another later. I think it's gonna be broadcasted in some channel, let me check." 

Yuri takes the phone with him to the kitchen, where he throws the cup away while Otabek checks his itinerary. "Yeah," his husband blurts, providing Yuri with the channel that was going to air some of his performance. 

"'Kay, I'll check it later. By the way, I had lunch with your sister the other day." 

"Yeah, mom told me." 

"Your _mother_ told you?" 

Otabek shrugs. "She calls me a lot. She's kind of furious that you haven't bothered to see her." 

"Well, obviously, since she's such a pain the ass." Yuri rolls his eyes. 

Otabek sighs. "Maybe she just wants to know about the baby and how you're doing." 

"You know what, she should fucking call me and make the effort instead of waiting on me to do so – which she knows I wouldn't do – just so she will have a reason to complain about me," Yuri raises one finger, "in fact, that's exactly what she's been planning, I can fucking bet." 

Otabek shakes his head. 

"You don't believe me?" Yuri asks, outraged. Deep down he knows he's probably overreacting, but he's been doing a lot of that lately. It's the hormones. 

"Yuri, please," Otabek sighs. "Let's not talk about my mother. My bad, I shouldn't have brought her up." 

"No, I think you should," Yuri claims, moving to the bedroom, where he flips the phone on top of the mattress and drops right next to it. "Because I have to know what I'm dealing with here. What else does she say about me that you've never seen fit to tell me?" 

"Yuri," Otabek hisses. "Calm down. Don't get agitated-" 

"I'm not agitated!" 

"Yes, you are," Otabek deadpans. He then sighs and looks away for a second, probably trying to ignore the way Yuri's eyes are shinning with unshed tears. "Just, take it easy, please." 

Yuri sniffs, "you always pick her over me." 

"I do not," Otabek acquiesces, in a softer tone of voice. "Forget I said anything in the first place." 

Yuri makes a controverted sound in the back of his throat but doesn't say anything else, wanting more than anything to let Otabek steam in guilt. Otabek clears his throat. "I miss you," his husband says, sending Yuri his puppy eyes. 

"I miss you too, you dickhead," Yuri mumbles, drying the corner of his eyes with his fingers. 

Otabek manages a quiet smile at that. "What are you going to do now?" 

"Shopping for the baby." 

"By yourself?" Otabek raises one eyebrow. 

"Yes, just as I have been doing everything by myself for the last couple days, Otabek," Yuri snaps, "Why? Am I too emotional to go out by myself?" 

"No, that's not what I meant," Otabek defends himself, eyes popped wide open. "Roja and some of the guys might be free to go out with you, in case you feel like having any company." 

"Yes, you've made that clear plenty of times before going," Yuri knows he's behaving like a self-righteous bastard but he doesn't care. He feels frustrated all of a sudden, since Otabek had mentioned his lack of friendliness for his mother-in-law. Who the hell does he think he is? Giving Yuri orders from the other side of the country. Fuck him and fuck his mother. 

Otabek gives a short sigh and flattens his lips. "Right," he drags out before licking his lips thoughtfully. "I'll call you later then, I guess. So you can show me everything you got for the baby. Okay?" he asks carefully. 

Yuri makes an angry face but nods. "Yeah. Bye." He waves half-heartedly and turns the call down first, out of spite. He rolls around on the bed and grabs the nearest pillow, groaning up onto it. 

He lounges on the bed for a while longer, so long that he doesn't feel like getting up to do anything after all, but then pushes himself into a sitting position. Yuri finally moves to his closet to sort out something to wear, which ends up being nothing fancier than sneakers, jeans and a loose button-down. The shower he takes lasts longer than usual but that's probably because he's washing his hair with a thousand products. He grabs his wallet and his car keys before moving to the door. 

Yuri has become quite taken to Otabek's car now that his husband is away. It's not as difficult to drive as his first episode had seemed to imply, but he suspects Otabek still gets shudders every time Yuri mentions going out by himself in it, part of the reason why he offers his friends all the damn time. 

Whatever. As though Yuri needed babysitting, he thinks vilely, turning the ignition on. 

He's out on the streets in no time, letting the GPS guide him towards a less busy path, feeling kind of awful now for terrorizing his husband. Yuri can't really blame Otabek, he realizes, he's become a time bomb of emotions all lately. He tries not to be angry, but then all of a sudden, he already _is_ and it seems like the whole world is being unfair to him. But then when it passes he feels kind of a bloated jerk making far-fetched accusations at people. 

He groans under his breath, slowing down after a car when the light turns red. He blasts the air conditioner in his direction and reaches for his phone, lying on the passenger seat. He types himself a memory note to call his grandfather once arriving back home, speeding up when he spies the light turning green. He doesn't have the time to open his message app to send Otabek an apology because he's suddenly jolted forward into the steering wheel, the seat belt digging painfully into his neck. 

Yuri realizes in the span of a second that the car in front of his must have braked and shit, Yuri hears that loud sound of tires against the asphalt before glancing at the rear-view mirror, where the headlights of another car are growing larger and larger. 

Yuri snaps his eyes shut but the impact on the car's rear has his body being jerked once again. His heart beats desperately inside his chest and there are voices and movement somewhere. Yuri digs his nails into the leather covering the steering wheel, wanting honest to god to believe none of this happened. He waits for the next impact with stiff muscles, but it doesn't come. It wasn't his fault, it wasn't his fucking fault. 

His legs shake uncontrollably and the back of his mind is fighting over what to worry: the baby, what the hell is happening or the state of Otabek's car. "Shit," he hisses, trying not to cry as he looks around. A woman has climbed down from the car in front of his and Yuri gasps when taking seat belt off. He feels its imprint on his body, on his neck down to his chest and on the bottom of his belly. 

Yuri opens the door and inches his legs outside of the car, still trying to understand what happened. 

"That asshole came out of nowhere," the woman driving the car in front of his is saying, gesturing in the direction of the crossroad. She's petite but young, probably thirty-something. "He ran past the red light, should've looked at his car's plate," she sighs, walking towards Yuri to look at the damage on their cars. "I'm so sorry, are you okay?" She asks, eyes going wide when she sees the protective hand Yuri has laid on the bottom of his belly. "Oh my good lord!" She screeches. "Are you pregnant? Sir, oh lord, I'm so sorry, how are you feeling? Do you need an ambulance? Ana, call an ambulance, this sir is pregnant." 

Yuri blinks down at the asphalt, his ears ringing terribly. He feels the woman helping him take a seat on the sidewalk and sees the shoes of the man who'd exited the car behind his. 

"-he okay-" 

"-think so... pregnant- in shock-" 

"-should see a doctor-" 

It doesn't feel like they could be talking about Yuri but a dark feeling creeping inside his chest, that Yuri doesn't want to believe in, tells him that yes, they are talking about him. 

"-some water. Sir, do you want some water?" There's a hand extending a water bottle in Yuri's vision and though his mouth feels dry there's nothing Yuri wants less in the world than to drink or eat something. He shakes his head and tries to push his hair, still wet, from falling around his face. He wonders violently for a moment _why the fuck_ is his hair wet before remembering he'd washed it. 

The baby can't be old enough to flip inside him but his belly feels unwell and Yuri grits his teeth, trying _not to think_ about the baby. He takes a large lungful of breath through his mouth and his vision clears a bit around the edges, though his body feels light and otherworldly. 

"Ana, did you call the ambulance?" The woman speaks again, and Yuri sees a little girl, probably in her early teenage years, running up from the car in front of his. 

"Yes," she says, and then bends to talk to Yuri. "Are you okay?" 

Yuri licks his lips, looking into her earnest eyes and her mouth, hanging open. "I don't know," he says. 

The girl backs away. "Mom, he's pregnant," she whispers in alarm. 

The place where the accident took place was residential mostly, and there are dogs barking and passersby collecting around them. Yuri digs his wrist onto the sidewalk to get up, but the man from the car behind his takes his elbow and gently nudges him sat again. "You should probably stay sitting down, sir. We called an ambulance. Are you from here? Is there anyone we can call? Your husband, your mother?" 

"No, I-" Yuri's vision goes in and out of focus, the man watching him expectantly. "My husband is away- My phone-" he reaches a hand out in the direction of Otabek's car. 

"His phone is in the car," the man says, and the woman opens the car's door to bring Yuri's phone to him while Ana, her daughter, sits beside Yuri to repeat to him that's _it's going to be okay_. 

Yuri's hands shake when he takes the phone in hand, but he manages to type in his code after a couple tries. He doesn't know what the fuck he's supposed to do though, who is he going to call? He opens his contacts list and starts going through it, names like Yakov, Grandpa, Katsudon, Mila, all of them too far away to do anything to help him. Yuri thinks about interrupting their carefully neutral lives to say he's just been involved in a car accident while five months pregnant and he feels nauseous. 

"I-" he begins to say, but the sound of an ambulance approaching cuts him off. 

"They are here," the woman says with a hand to her chest, "thanks god." 

The ambulance parks and three paramedics descend. Yuri shrinks into himself but the little girl and the man help him up to his feet when the paramedics come in his direction. The first to approach is a woman, and she lays a hand on the small of Yuri's back. 

"Can you walk, sir?" 

Yuri nods, following her towards the ambulance. They sit him down on the edge of it and the paramedic takes out a pocket lantern that she tells Yuri to follow with his eyes. "Do you feel any pain, sir? Are you hurt somewhere?" She asks, turning off the light and inching his hair back to check his forehead and his upper body for any blood or cuts. Yuri shakes his head. "How far along are you?" She nods in his belly's direction. 

"Twenty weeks, almost," Yuri tells her and the other paramedics fill in the ambulance. 

"We're going to have to take you to the hospital, sir. Are you okay with that? Is there someone who can pick you up? Someone we can call?" 

Yuri blinks at her rapid-fire questions. He becomes deaf to her and other voices start filling in, like the man from the accident and Ana, the teen girl, whispering to her mother that he's Yuri Plisetsky. 

Yuri nods his head at the paramedic, shoving his phone in her direction and pointing with a shaking finger at two names on his contacts list. "M-My sister-in-law and my mother-in-" 

"Great, sir," the paramedic nods quickly. "Come, we have to hurry." 

 

\- 

 

Yuri doesn't want to think about the baby but when he's being rushed into the hospital, in a gurney, white ceiling lights blinking in and out of his vision, he can't help but think he's lost her. They say they want to get an ultrasound done and a couple more exams to evaluate the baby's state. They didn't tell him, but Yuri heard them talking to each other that he might be in shock. 

Yuri doesn't think he's in shock. It just feels like the time has chosen to fly by and he's lost as to what he should be doing. 

Despite their hurry, the nurses take Yuri to an exam room and take a long time trying to talk to him while someone boots up the ultrasound. 

"The chances of any damage to the baby are _very slim_ , sir, do you understand that?" One of the nurses tell him in a soft tone. Yuri recognizes him as a fellow omega. "No need to be afraid. You are just scared but everything is fine." 

They apply the cold gel on Yuri's belly and only then he realizes they'd opened his shirt. Yuri doesn't want to stare at the monitor, afraid he's going to see something awful like his baby deformed. But the nurse shushes him and a man in a white cloak pokes him with a probe. 

Yuri swallows the bile rising on his dry throat, yearning for the image of his baby. She – it's a she, Yuri knows it -, appears, coiled around herself, a little higher up his uterus than his last ultrasound had shown. The doctor increases the volume and the sound of her beating heart fills in the room. 

Yuri could fucking cry in relief, hanging his head back on the pillow and gasping. 

"The baby is perfect, sir," the doctor tells him happily, "the unrest you felt was probably due to the stress of the situation. You have no wounds, no bleeding of any kind. I dare to say the only consequence of the accident was emotional. If you didn't hit your head, as you say, there's no need for a scan, but if you'd like..." He waits for Yuri to shake his head. "Good. Take one or two days off and you'll be as good as new." 

Yuri nods. "Thank you." 

"Would you like to know the sex?" The doctor aims an eyebrow at him amusedly. 

Yuri shakes his head. "I already do. Thank you." 

The doctor nods and takes his leave. The omega nurse smiles at Yuri. "We have a room set for you. We'll take you there now." 

"There's no need, really," Yuri sits up. "I just want to go home." With the news on the baby's welfare Yuri still feels a bit dizzy but ten times better than he was before. 

The nurse shrugs. "Well, the doctor has released you, so officially there's nothing I can do to hold you back. Is there anything else you'd like though?" 

Yuri looks around, becoming painfully aware of something that should've been obvious. "Do you have any food?" 

 

\- 

 

Hospital food sucks, but Yuri doesn't look a gifted horse on the mouth. The nurse seems all too kind to offer and Yuri briefly wonders if he's only being that solicitous because he's recognized Yuri as that famous model. None of it matters, it seems, as the nurse assures Yuri that everything's fine and that he has visitors. 

"And I hear they're making quite a scandal at the front door," he adds with tinted cheeks. 

Yuri frowns but then remembers Damira. Fuck. The hospital must have called her. Yuri groans under his breath, and after collecting his phone and his wallet from the patients' ward he goes to exit the hospital. 

"How dare you?" Yuri can already hear a painfully familiar voice screaming. "He's carrying my grandson or my granddaughter and you tell me I'm not family to go there! Just- No, Maya, let me speak to her! I want to see him right now- there he is." 

Yuri feels like every eye in the reception has turned in his direction. So much for exiting discreetly. 

Maya runs up to him and Damira follows. 

"Are you okay?" Maya asks earnestly. "Yuri- the baby- we thought. The hospital called and mom took a cab, which is something she never does-" Yuri glances at Damira, who is looking furiously up at him, face streaked with tears. "And then, well, a lot happened." Maya continues. "How are you? And the baby? They said you were wearing a seat-belt-" 

"The baby is fine, everything is fine," Yuri speaks over her, "I was just shocked and everyone was worried. Can we please go now?" He moves to the exit, but Maya grabs his arm. 

"No, no, don't go there. The security will take us to my car but we have to use the back door." 

Yuri frowns, not liking the sound of it. "Why?" He asks, tilting his head to the side. 

Damira mumbles under her breath, following the hospital's security guard who'd promptly come to check on them, leading the way into a narrow corridor. Maya pulls Yuri along. "The media is outside," she says. 

"The media?" Yuri snarls, and then, "Fuck! Does Otabek-" 

Maya turns to nod at him. "Beka knows, yes. He's on his way, he cancelled his tour." 

"He cancel- what the hell is going on? I'm fine, he doesn't need to cancel his fucking tour-" 

"Yuri, I know, really," Maya grabs his hand and squeezes it. "But please, wait until we get in the car." 

Yuri opens his mouth to retort, but feels a little bad for Maya. She's still in her work clothes and had probably had to deal with Damira's nerves until Yuri'd deemed to show up. All because Yuri had told the fucking hospital to call her and drop everything off because they were the only family he had here. 

They walk until reaching a door that leads to the hospital's underground garage. There are no reporters around and Yuri is thankful as the guard escorts them towards Maya's car. Yuri takes the backseat, not thinking he could ever manage to drive again. Damira, for everything, is silent as she stares ahead at the windshield while her daughter manoeuvres them out of the garage. Yuri doesn't look back when they reach the main street, but the traffic is busy enough to show there was some sort of commotion a couple meters behind them. 

"Maya," Yuri tries, "what about my grandfather?" If he's news here then he's news back in Russia and fuck, wouldn't he give everything to be able to tell his relatives first about something like this rather than having them watching it on the news? 

"Beka called him," Maya tells him, glancing at Yuri through the rear-view mirror. "He said you were at the hospital and that your condition was stable, as that was the only news they'd released on you until then." 

Yuri nods. "And his car?" 

"He called the insurance. They'll cover the damages. The driver that you hit said it was her fault. She had to brake because a car didn't respect the crossroad's light. You hit her afterwards and the car coming after you didn't have enough time to do the same himself. Luckily there was no one else after him. Sorry, just-" she moves to turn the radio on, a soft music coming in, "You were all driving at low speed so the car isn't that damaged. The worst was the rear." She then turns to comment on something with her mother in a too fast Kazakh and Yuri gives up trying to understand. 

He rests his head back and sighs. He just wants to lie down and rest, preferably with his husband beside him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry if the end is a bit crappy. As always, please let me know your thoughts!


End file.
